


A HOLIDAY GETAWAY

by icepeach



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Christmas Fluff, Domestic Fluff, M/M, Original Character(s), Strangers to Lovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-26
Updated: 2020-05-26
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:40:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,848
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24380689
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/icepeach/pseuds/icepeach
Summary: Hoping to spend the holidays relaxing on his own and trying to find inspiration to write his article, Baekhyun finds himself in a situation of double rent of the same cabin with a father and his daughter. What starts as inconvenience evolves into a fun trip of Baekhyun finding himself and much more.*The one fic posted out of season*
Relationships: Byun Baekhyun/Do Kyungsoo | D.O
Comments: 4
Kudos: 40





	A HOLIDAY GETAWAY

**Author's Note:**

> First of, hi!! Long time no see.  
> I actually haven't logged here in so long, but I found this fic on my drafts from when I was trying to write back in december and since I'm quarantining I decided to try finishing it. *patting myself for good job* This is based on a Christmas movie I've watched back then but I don't know the title in english so I'm just gonna say in it my native language it's called (uma viagem de natal). Anyway, you know the drill, this unbeta, so forgive me for any mistakes.

A HOLIDAY GETAWAY

Baekhyun is used to travelling. Actually... That’s one of his most favorite things to do. He's got to love doing it since his job takes him from one place of the world to another. But one thing that annoys him the most is taking the road on a holiday where everyone decides to do the same. That's a big NO for him. And yet here he is on his old and dark brown impala, driving through the mountains, trying to be extra careful because of the snow. 

\- You just have to stay there for a week, Baekhyun. It's not like you have to celebrate the holiday. - Says his boss, Jongdae, on the speaker. - Plus, you love working.

\- You know I don't really celebrate Christmas and yet there you are asking me to write something about it. Like I have a clue on what to write about. 

\- You can write about the people there. I've heard this village is quite traditional when it comes to Christmas. They go all the way...

Baekhyun rolls his eyes, even though  Jongdae can't see it. He's not sure how he accepted to write this article, all he knows is one moment he was planning to go to the hottest country in the world with the prettiest most dazzling beach and the next moment  Jongdae was at his door mumbling something about one of his coworkers that got a cold and couldn't travel to the village, he was begging Baekhyun to help him and somehow he couldn't say no. Jongdae was not only his boss but also his best friend, so he felt compelled to help him.

\- I've booked a cabin for you, when you get there on the village you need to find a bakery named Sweet X. Ask for Kim Minseok and he's going to give you the keys ok? Anything you need just call me. Ok. Bye – The friend hangs up before Baekhyun has any ideas about giving up. Like he was willing to turn the car around and face the traffic all over again. 

Once he got to the village it wasn't hard to find the bakery. It was full of fairy lights and Christmas decoration all over the front of the establishment. Everything looked beautiful but when he got in it, the place was a complete chaos. Employees were walking around caring sweets, cakes, someone was yelling from the kitchen to hurry up with the ingredients for something. It was a mess. Baekhyun was confused about who should he approach to ask for the information. He saw a young boy, cleaning a table next to him. He looked nice… or approachable at least. Baekhyun got close to him, coughing to get his attention. 

\- Hm... excuse me - Baekhyun starts getting the younger's attention. - I'm looking for Kim Minseok? I'm supposed to get a key with him. 

\- Oh right... you're the guy who's going to stay on the cabin 412, right? 

\- I think so??? - Baekhyun recollects in his memory if Jongdae told him the number.

\- Wait here... I'm gonna get him for you. 

The boy disappears behind a door while Baekhyun waits, checking the decoration and the movement. A few minutes later the boy comes back with a man behind him, he was cleaning his hand with a towel and he looked distressful. The man noticed Baekhyun and gave him an apologetic smile.

\- Sorry for making you wait, things here are a bit of a mess because of the holiday. I'm Minseok.

\- It's okay. I'm Baekhyun. - Baekhyun offers his hand to greet him and the other man takes it. - Jongdae told me to get the key for the cabin with you? 

\- Yeah here it is. - He takes the keys out of his pocket with the number 412 written on it. - Do you know where it is? 

Baekhyun looks outside of the store, to the street, considering. Minseok notices he looks a little lost, so he adds:

\- It's not hard, you just have to take the main street up until the ice-skating rink, then you turn right and keep going straight until you spot a small road covered with snow in the middle of some pine trees. You follow that path and you’ll get there.

Baekhyun is not sure he got it, but still he shook his head agreeing with whatever the other man said. 

\- Okay. Thank you. 

Someone calls for Minseok behind the door he came from. It looks like someone needed his help. 

\- I’m sorry I must get back. If you need anything you know where to find me. 

Baekhyun nods again, feeling sorry for the man for being so busy. He waves to the boy who helped him and gets in his car to find the little cabin.

❄ ️

Baekhyun thought he would have trouble finding the place. But it wasn't so hard, as soon as he spots the small road in the middle of trees, he notices some cabins spread throughout the forest and a road sign indicating cabin 412 was the last one, almost at the top of the mountain and isolated from the rest. It was beautiful and big.  Maybe  Jongdae deserves a few rights, he thinks to himself. The place looks really nice and roomy. Baekhyun could see himself enjoying the fireplace with a glass of wine on his hands, away from the noise of the big city, just him and his mind.

Baekhyun sets his things in the living room and walks around the place, noticing the architecture made of wood.

\- Hm... who are you? A small voice caught his attention. Baekhyun turns around and notices a child looking at him, with curious eyes. 

\- Who are you? Baekhyun asks back, looking confused.  _ What’s this little girl doing here? _

Right at this moment he hears the toilet being flushed and a man coming out of the bathroom. He looks at Baekhyun, just as surprised as him. 

\- Who are you and what are you doing here? - The man asks. Baekhyun is startled for a second. First because he doesn’t know these people, but also the man’s voice was really strong but he looks just as tall as Baekhyun, in other words not that tall. But still he was expecting this. He also didn’t expect to bump into someone so beautiful. He wasn't Baekhyun's type. Baekhyun's type was muscular and tall. But something about the man's shoulder, his undercut, the shape of his lips, just his overall presence was so strong it made him feel instantly weak. Baekhyun shakes his head, getting out of the trance.

\- Hm... what are YOU doing here? - He asks back. - I've rented this place. 

The man walks to the child and puts her behind him, like he’s protecting her. He looks at Baekhyun like he is about to steal the place.  _ What’s this nonsense? _ Baekhyun thinks. 

\- You’re wrong. This is our place. We have the keys. – The man shows the keys on his hands with the number 412. 

\- Well so do I - Baekhyun takes the keys out of his pocket, showing it to the stranger. - Clearly the management made a mistake, so you just need to talk to them. I'm sure they'll find a place for you. 

\- What? - The man asks bewildered - We came here first; you go talk to the management!

_ Great. Just great. _ Of course, this would happen to Baekhyun. 

\- Look - He sighs, feeling exasperated - I've been driving for the past 18 hours, I'm tired as hell and I need to rest, I'm not leaving this place.

\- What about me and my child? You're gonna make us leave? 

\- But I like this place – the little girl says adding to her father’s questions.

Now that’s just not fair, Baekhyun thinks looking at both. He doesn’t have a child to plead to his wishes. What he can possibly say to argue with that?

The man looks at him expectant like he knows what Baekhyun is thinking and Baekhyun kind of wants to smack him right now because his eyes looking at him that way is making Baekhyun feel things, like Baekhyun would say yes to whatever the man asked if he looked at him with those pleading dark eyes once again.

❄ ️

They go back to the bakery to talk with Minseok. The place still looks like a mess, all the employees working on something and when Minseok spots them he looks at them with an apologetic look. On the way to the bakery the man explained the situation to Minseok, so he must be aware of everything. 

\- I'm sorry I didn't notice I've put you two on the same place. - Minseok says when he approaches them.

Baekhyun tries not to roll his eyes and to be annoyed, he saw that the man has been working nonstop and that probably confused him. But still, he's tired and he just wants a bed to lay and rest. 

\- It's okay. Just give us a key to another cabin and we can settle this without worries. - Baekhyun replies.

Minseok looks at the floor biting his lips.

\- It's just that... -  Minseok stops mid-sentence, hesitating- All cabins are occupied.

_ This cannot be happening.  _

Baekhyun looks at the man and the child beside him. Both men look worried.

\- What? Baekhyun asks - But when I got there some of them looked empty. 

\- That's because the people that booked aren't here yet. But they already have reservations. I can't put you in one of them otherwise the same mistake would happen. I'm sorry.

\- So, what do we do then? - The man intervenes, surely noticing Baekhyun was about to lose it. - This was your mistake, Minseok. 

Minseok stays silent for a minute, thinking.

\- The only thing I can do is give your money back. I'm sorry... it's just like I said I can't book another place for you. 

Baekhyun rubs his eyes, breathing hard. He didn't even want to come here; he was just doing this for his friend. He looks at the man and the little child. Of course, he won't fight them for that place, they look just as tired as him and they deserve to have their family moment. Baekhyun doesn't hate Christmas that much to go ruin the day for someone else. 

\- It's fine...- He says after a couple of minutes. - I'll just go and find another place to stay here for today and tomorrow I'll go home. 

Minseok looks apologetic once more.

\- What now? Baekhyun eyes him, feeling exasperated.

\- All the places here are booked because of the holidays. You won't find another place. - Minseok explains. 

Oh yeah lucky is definitely on Baekhyun's side today.

\- You can stay with us - A little voice gets his attention. Baekhyun looks at the little girl and then at her father that looks just as surprised as him. This little girl is something else... he doesn’t know if it's cute or dangerous that she doesn't care how Baekhyun is stranger but that's not something he can accept. The only option is for Baekhyun to get on the road before it gets dark. 

\- It's okay sweetie I'll just get back home today. But thank you for offering. 

After settling things with Minseok they go out of the bakery to follow their own paths. Baekhyun is about to apologize for the mess they got in, but the man beats him into it.

\- I'm sorry for the trouble we got ourselves involved. - He says. 

They walk till Baekhyun's car and stop near the passenger's door. 

\- No, don't worry. It's not your fault either. 

The man looks at the sky like he's considering something and then he looks at the little girl and back at Baekhyun.

\- Are you sure you don't wanna stay with us? - He asks and he looks serious - For today I mean. 

That catches Baekhyun off guard. One thing is his little kid saying that, but he didn't expect the man to agree.  _ Is he crazy? _ Baekhyun thinks. No one sane would offer their place to a stranger like that.

\- No... I don't want to bother you guys - Baekhyun waves his hand denying - Plus we don't even know each other. - He adds to emphasize they're completely strangers.

\- You don't seem like a bother - the man replies, he looks at the sky once again and back at Baekhyun - Look... soon it will get dark and I don't feel good letting you go back on the road. You can stay with us and then tomorrow you'll go whatever you want. 

Baekhyun looks at the sky like the man was doing and notices the sun is about to set. He thinks about driving on the snow and in the dark and starts to reconsider. Maybe he can stay for today, just to rest and then as soon as he wakes up, he'll leave.

\- You can make cookies with us. - The little girl adds and the look on her eyes is so adorable, like she really wants Baekhyun to stay. 

\- I don't know... he looks at the little girl, he can't say no to her, can he? - You guys don't even know my name. 

The little girl holds one of Baekhyun's hands and it surprises Baekhyun how familiar she seems with him. 

\- C'mon... tell us your name and then we can make cookies. - She squeezes his hand once more - You can't say no to dad's cookies, they're delicious.

Baekhyun smiles at the comment,  _ she's so adorable _ , he thinks. He looks at her and then back at her father, considering.

-Well... then I'll say yes. 

The man gives him half a smile, looking relieved.

\- Great... then let me introduce us. This is Hyunyi - He squeezes the top his daughter’s head and then offers his hand to Baekhyun- And I'm Do Kyungsoo.

Baekhyun takes the man's hand and for some reason he feels a little bit of an electric current passing between them.

\- Byun Baekhyun.

❄ ️

Back at the cabin  Kyungsoo offers Baekhyun one of the rooms on the first floor. Baekhyun tried to deny it, saying he could sleep on the couch but  Kyungsoo wouldn't have it, especially when there  were so many rooms available.  Kyungsoo was really nice. He gave Baekhyun blankets and got out making sure Baekhyun would have his space to feel comfortable. Baekhyun didn't even bother unpacking his things, knowing he would leave as soon as he wakes up, he just took out some clothes for the night and went to take a quick shower. He was tired but he also didn't feel like sleeping too early in the night, so he decides to take on  Kyungsoo and  Hyunyi 's invitation to make cookies with them. 

Coming down, he notices  Kyungsoo and Hyunyi are seating in chairs arranged in front of the kitchen countertop. They’re spreading the cookie dough on the baking tray. It’s a lovely scene to watch, with both him and his daughter with a little bit of flour on their faces.

\- I came down to help but it looks like you've got it covered. - Baekhyun says announcing his presence. 

Kyungsoo looks up, taking Baekhyun's post shower look, his brown hair is still wet falling on his eyes. Baekhyun is suddenly self-conscious, thinking he should've dress up better but then he reprimands himself.  _ What for? _

\- We still need a little bit of help, right Hyunyi? 

\- Yes. You can decorate the cookies with daddy and me... daddy and I, she corrects herself. 

_ Argh she's so adorable, _ Baekhyun thinks once again.

Baekhyun settles at the chair at the other side of the countertop, in front of them, so he's looking both at Hyunyi and Kyungsoo. He feels a bit out place because he doesn't know these people but that soon fades away, because Hyunyi is such an adorable kid, she talks to him like they've been best friends for years and that warms his heart. 

\- So, what has brought you to this little town? - Kyungsoo asks, when they start decorating the cookies. Baekhyun explains how he works for a magazine and his best friend wanted him to write something about Christmas, something special. He doesn't mention the fact that he's not a person who celebrates Christmas or how he doesn't have any idea what to write. 

\- ... So, I came here for a bit of inspiration. - Now he feels frustrated because tomorrow he's leaving, and he didn't get any. He sighs. - Anyway, what about you guys? What made you come all the way to here? 

\- Nana made daddy come. - Hyunyi simply says. Baekhyun doesn't get it so he looks at Kyungsoo hoping he would clarify what she meant.

\- My mom... She said I needed to get away for a bit. - Kyungsoo explains looking lost in thought. His brows furrowed and his lips down. For some reason Baekhyun gets curious and wants to know what made him look so down for a minute, but he knows it's not his place to ask.

Kyungsoo shakes his head, like he's coming back to reality.

\- Plus, Hyunyi has a list to fulfil right, Hyunyi? He looks at his daughter fondly. 

Hyunyi jumps excited, clapping her hands. 

\- Yes!!! - She gets out of the chair running to the living room and then comes back with a paper on her hands. She sits next to Baekhyun this time. - Look!! We're  gonna buy a Christmas tree and decorate it, and we're  gonna build a snowman. Ice skating is on the list too, right daddy? She looks at her father for reassurance.

\- Yes, sweetie. - Kyungsoo smiles at her and Baekhyun notices even his smile is pretty.

Baekhyun didn't even feel the time pass. They decorated the cookies,  Kyungsoo put them on the oven and they went to the living room with cups of hot chocolate on their hands. They sat at the couch talking a little bit about their lives. Baekhyun found out  Kyungsoo is an interior designer and that he’s younger than him by a year, that surprised him. For some reason he thought  Kyungsoo worked with something related to music or radio, because of his voice. Baekhyun is still impressed because the man’s voice is really smooth. Soon enough Hyunyi fell asleep on her father's lap. So,  Kyungsoo got up carrying  Hyunyi to take her to her room.

\- Do you mind taking the cookies out of the oven while I get her to bed? I'll be back right in a second. 

\- Okay. Baekhyun agrees and walks to the kitchen.

Baekhyun goes to kitchen and takes the cookies out of the oven with a glove. They smell great, he notices. He smiles thinking about Hyunyi waking up tomorrow morning and eating them.

\- You can have one if you want. - Kyungsoo says, walking straight to the sink to clean some of the dishes left behind. 

\- Thanks. Baekhyun says smiling like a puppy. He takes one cookie and bites it slowly, feeling it melt on his mouth because of the caramel they've put in it. - Oh my God! This is delicious!

Kyungsoo half smiles looking at him then back at the sink, to focus on the dishes. 

They stay in silence for a couple of minutes and Baekhyun feels awkward, he's not much of a person to stay quiet for long. He walks to Kyungsoo's side and stars to dry the dishes with a dish towel.

\- So. .. - Baekhyun starts. - How come an interior designer is so good at cooking? 

Kyungsoo looks to his side at Baekhyun, half smiling once again. 

\- How come you know I'm good at cooking just because of one recipe?

Baekhyun smiles sheepishly.

\- I'm just assuming if you cook something that good, you must be good with other recipes. Am I wrong?

Kyungsoo bites his bottom lip.

\- No... you're  not. - He concedes. - Actually, I used to cook a lot a few years back, but I've stopped. 

Kyungsoo gets this look on his face, like he remembered something that  hurt him. Baekhyun is not sure what he's supposed to say, he's curious but he doesn't want to pry. 

\- But you're cooking now...- Baekhyun replies, bumping his shoulder on his side trying to lift his mood. 

\- Yeah...- Kyungsoo gives him a little smile and Baekhyun considers that a success. - This trip is gonna be great because  Hyunyi and I are going to cook a lot. 

\- You're making me feel jealous I'm not going to be here to taste it all. 

Kyungsoo laughs a little and Baekhyun is pretty sure he's never heard a laugh so beautiful; he knows he's being completely biased because he already noticed how Kyungsoo's voice is great but everything about the man enchants him.

They finish the dishes and follow to the living room, sitting on the couch. They sit with one of theirs legs resting on the couch facing each other but with a little space between them.

\- You said earlier you came here to find inspiration. Did you find it? Even if it was just a day. - Kyungsoo asks looking curious. 

And that makes Baekhyun remember about the article for the first time in the night. He completely forgot about it. 

\- Argh no... - He straights his leg and rests his back on the back of the couch, closing his eyes, he confesses - I have no idea what I should write. 

\- What do you  mean? - Kyungsoo looks at him confused. - Isn't it just about Christmas? 

Yeah, it's just Christmas, but to Baekhyun is more than that. He never had a connection with the holiday. How does he explain this to someone he barely met? He stays silent for a minute and thinks about it. For some reason he feels like explaining to Kyungsoo.

-I've never been a person who celebrates Christmas. - Baekhyun says almost whispering. Nervous, he turns to Kyungsoo once again resting his leg on the couch.  Kyungsoo looks at him, serious, waiting for him to continue. - I used to as a kid but then I grew up and it just... I just didn't feel like it, I guess? My parents are always some place far away in the holidays and I was too... always visiting other countries to work on my articles. I guess we lost the connection. 

There’s a knot in Baekhyun’s stomach, a feeling of anxiety, images flashing through his mind of another reason why he doesn’t enjoy Christmas anymore, but he ignores it. He’s been ignoring for years, like if he pretends it never happened, he will soon start believing his own lies. 

He looks at  Kyungsoo and he can't read him. He didn’t tell the whole true but part of its true. He did lose the connection to the festivity and for focusing so much into work he distanced himself from those celebrations and consequently distanced himself of his family. He feels bad for putting his problems on to him, someone he barely knows. He's about to apologize for opening up to him but  Kyungsoo cuts him before he says it. 

\- Honestly Christmas can be the best time if you have the right people celebrating with you. I hope you can find your inspiration. 

Baekhyun smiles because of course Kyungsoo would say something nice like that. 

\- I hope so too. - He whispers, making a wish.

❄ ️

Baekhyun wakes up the next morning feeling pleasantly light. He spent the entire night talking with Kyungsoo, so much that they didn't even realize how late it was until Kyungsoo yawned and he felt bad for keeping him awake.

He gets up to brush his teeth and while brushing it he remembers last night conversation. He opened up so much to Kyungsoo that he feels strange, it was so easy for him to talk about his life, it didn't feel like they were strangers. He told him about his travels, the articles he wrote, the people he met in the countries he visited. He told a little bit more about his parents, which it was odd because Baekhyun is not a person who talks a lot about them. He loves them for sure, but they aren’t close anymore. They haven’t been for a while. 

Speaking of... Baekhyun feels like calling them. He's not sure in which time zone they are but he still grabs his phone and dials his mom number to try talk to her.

It takes a couple of seconds, but his mom answers it with her voice a little surprised. 

\- Baekhyun? 

\- Hi mom! Baekhyun replies, his voice a little high.

\- Is everything okay? Did something happen? 

Of course she would ask that, Baekhyun doesn't really like phone calls unless it's something important. But still... he reprimands himself for being so into his own little world.

\- Not really... I just miss you  guys. - He says honestly. 

His mom stays in silent for a second that feels too long. Baekhyun knows she is surprised because he also doesn't say that a lot. 

\- Oh sweetie we miss you too. Her voice melts.

Baekhyun catches up with her for at least 15 minutes. He asks her where they are and his mom tells him that she and his dad are in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Baekhyun is surprised by that but his mom tells him how his dad put on his mind to learn tango and how she’s obsessed with dulce de leche. The time passed and he didn't even feel it, until his mom said she had to go and asked him to call them more times.

Baekhyun feels different somehow. Like being in this little town and meeting Kyungsoo and Hyunyi changed something on him, even if it was just a little bit. He didn't get to find inspiration for his article, but Jongdae would have to understand it.

Coming down a little later, he leaves his bag at the door and goes to the kitchen to find Kyungsoo and Hyunyi. The little girl smiles when she notices him, and he smiles back at her. 

\- Mr. Byun!! look! The cookies are delicious. You can have them if you want!

Baekhyun walks to the countertop and lightly pats Hyunyi's head smiling.

\- That's great, Hyunyi! But please no mister here. Call me Baekhyun. - He looks at her cutely eating the cookies and then back at Kyungsoo who is looking fondly at them. Baekhyun feels warm for some reason. - Good morning. He says to Kyungsoo.

\- Good morning. - Kyungsoo smiles - Did you sleep ok? 

\- Great actually... the bed was really comfortable. 

Kyungsoo nods agreeing with him. _ He looks beautiful in the morning too _ , Baekhyun thinks. His face is a little puffy from sleep and his black dark hair is a little messy pointing to all directions. It's cute. But there's a red alert on his mind saying he has to leave, and he can't waste time with thoughts of a man he finds cute. 

\- I have a request for you, Hyunyi. - Baekhyun turns to the little girl and she stops eating looking curious at Baekhyun.

\- What is it? 

\- Do you mind if I take some of those cookies with me? You see... it's a long trip so I have to leave already but if I go without eating them, I won't stop thinking about how delicious they are. 

Hyunyi laughs agreeing he can take some. Kyungsoo looks down and then back up to Baekhyun surprised.

\- You're leaving already? 

Baekhyun looks back at him, trying to read him. Is he disappointed? 

\- Yeah, it's a long road trip, if I leave now it's better because I won't catch too much traffic.

\- Oh... - It's all Kyungsoo says. Baekhyun wishes he had the power to read minds. What does oh means? 

\- Anyways - Baekhyun shrugs off - Thank you so much for letting me stay here. Although the circumstances of how we met weren't great, I'm really glad I got to know you.

Hyunyi runs around the countertop and grabs Baekhyun hand pulling him down. He gets on his knees and is surprised when Hyunyi hugs him tight. He feels warm again. It's strange how attached he feels to this little girl, he's not used to feeling this way. 

They walk to the front door,  Hyunyi still attached to Baekhyun's side holding his hand. Near the car, Baekhyun goes down again and hugs  Hyunyi telling her to take care. He gets up and feels awkward looking at  Kyungsoo . For some reason he thinks  Kyungsoo feels the same way. 

-Thank you again. - Baekhyun says again, offering his hand to  Kyungsoo . The man bites his bottom lip hesitating. It looks like he wants to say something but he's not sure what. He takes Baekhyun's hand shaking it a little.

\- No worries. - Kyungsoo says - Sorry for the inconvenience.

Baekhyun smiles, feeling the warm coming from  Kyungsoo's hand and something else...

\- I can say the same. - Baekhyun replies, letting go of his hand.  Kyungsoo puts his hands in the pockets of his coat. Baekhyun gets in the car waving to both of them, he takes a deep breath and he turns the key to start the engine only to find out his car isn't turning on. He looks at the side where  Kyungsoo and  Hyunyi are waiting then back at the car. He tries again. His car makes a little sound trying to work but it fails again.  _ Great... just great _ . 

\- Car trouble? -  Kyungsoo asks coming to his side of the window and startling him.

-It seems like it... yeah - Baekhyun replies, feeling embarrassed.

\- Looks like you're  gonna have to stay then. -  Kyungsoo says, and for some reason he looks pleased saying that. - At least until you fix your car... I mean.

Baekhyun doesn't want to read much into it. 

❄ ️

\- So... apparently my battery died. - Baekhyun tells  Kyungsoo . He came back inside the cabin, after calling  Minseok and ask him if he knew someone who could check his car.  Minseok send a guy 10 minutes after the call and it didn't take him long to figure it out. 

\- Did they tell you how long it will take to fix it? - Kyungsoo asks. 

\- Yeah 2 at most... he's  gonna look for a new battery. - Baekhyun explains, looking a little lost. - I'm sorry,  Kyungsoo . I really didn't want to force my presence here but I don't have another place to stay. 

\- What? No, Baekhyun. - He shrugs - Don't worry. You know you're welcome here. -  Kyungsoo says, and he’s serious. 

_ He really means it _ , Baekhyun thinks. 

\- Anyway...  Hyunyi and I are going to the farm to cut a Christmas tree now. Do you wanna come with us? 

Baekhyun thinks about the article he should been writing but he's really got no clue on what to write now, so he might as well join them. 

\- Yeah, sure. 

They go to a tree farm and the place screams Christmas all over. The music, the families walking between the trees smiling. Baekhyun fixes his scarf around him and puts his  beanie to cover his hair. He's pretty sure the tip of his nose is red from the cold. 

\- Ok... so what kind of tree are we looking for? Baekhyun asks and Kyungsoo looks at Hyunyi for an answer. 

\- A beautiful tree. - Hyunyi replies cutely and takes both Kyungsoo and Baekhyun's hand to walk around the farm. 

\- Have you ever bought a tree before? Kyungsoo asks while they're walking, and he looks curious. 

\- No... not really. - Baekhyun answers looking back at him. - Like I said I didn't really  have the time to celebrate it... or the will.

\- You must be feeling strange here then... All this Christmas vibe. -  Kyungsoo replies like he's thinking to himself, not really wanting Baekhyun's reply. 

That gives time for Baekhyun to look around. He should be feeling strange, and it's not just because they're out buying a Christmas tree, it's the environment, all these families around him living through the holiday. But he doesn't feel strange, he looks at  Hyunyi holding his hand and glancing curious at the tree, he looks at  Kyungsoo beside her... there's a warm feeling inside of him, as crazy as it is, it feels like he belongs.

\- There! - Hyunyi says excited pointing to a tree - That one! 

She lets go of their hands and runs in the tree's direction, with Kyungsoo following right after her. 

Baekhyun smiles looking at them and he thinks it's nice feeling like he belongs, even if it's just for a moment.

❄

After buying the tree, they drive downtown to buy some ornaments for it. They come back to the cabin almost around dinner time. Kyungsoo and Baekhyun bring the tree to the living room and set the boxes with the ornaments close to it so they can start to decorate. Hyunyi is excited, she goes to kitchen and grabs the rest of the cookies left from earlier and  Kyungsoo goes there to make something for them to eat.

Baekhyun sits  beside the boxes with Hyun Yi taking the ornaments and placing them at the bottom of the tree. 

\-  So Hyunyi ,  how is it  going so far with your list ? Are  you having fun ? -  Baekhyun asks and the little nods excited . 

\- Yes! I  can't wait till grandma gets here so she can play  with us. 

\- Oh  your nana  is coming ?  Baekhyun asks surprised . 

Baekhyun feels like  he's intruding again ,  they're having a  family moment ,  he shouldn't be here . He  hopes his car is fixed by the time  Kyungsoo's mother is here .

Hyunyi gets up and Baekhyun notices he left his bag beside the couch, she puts her tiny hand in one of his bags, one that's full of badges from places that Baekhyun has visited. 

\- Do  you travel a  lot ? -  She asks .

Baekhyun gets up and sits on the couch while she's looking at his bag.

\-  Yeah , I do.

\-  I'd like  to travel a  lot too.  Someday . 

\-  Yeah ? 

She nods . 

\- I  want to take  pictures . 

\-  Oh so you wanna be photographer ?  Baekhyun asks impressed . -  I've took a  lot of pictures from the places I've visited . Do  you wanna see ? 

Hyunyi opens her eyes wide, smiling and going to sit on the couch too. Baekhyun smiles and reaches for one of his bags and takes a camera out of it. He gives it to  Hyunyi and she takes it eagerly, screening through all the pictures.

Kyungsoo comes later, letting them know dinner is ready. They get up and go to the kitchen and while they're eating, she tells him all about the pictures Baekhyun took and the places he's visited. She looks back at Baekhyun asking details of the places and he tells them all about it. The people, the culture, the times where he couldn't communicate properly because he didn't know the idiom of the country, the times people were nice to him even thought he was  foreign .

\- When I'm an adult I wanna go too, dad. - Hyunyi tells him and he smiles fondly.

\- Yeah? But I will be worried. - Kyungsoo makes a face like he's about to start fake crying and she giggles.

\- Don't worry, Dad. I'll come back for Christmas.

They finish eating and go back to the living room to finish decorating the tree. Baekhyun finds that it's easy to pass time with them,  Kyungsoo and  Hyunyi are very friendly and they really make sure to make him feel included even when he's not part of the family. For one more night, Baekhyun doesn't notice the time pass until  Kyungsoo once taking a sleepy  Hyunyi to her room. Meanwhile, Baekhyun opens a bottle of wine, wraps himself in blanket and goes to the front of the house where there's a little porch attached to it. Baekhyun feels the cold breeze on his skin, he closes his eyes smelling the scent of the forest and hearing the sound of tree moving according to the wind. It feels calm. 

\- This place is great is in it? - Kyungsoo asks, walking to his side.

Baekhyun half smiles, not even startled by his presence, he's starting to get used to him. 

\- Yeah. It's  peaceful. - He agrees. - Sometimes it's good to go to a place like this where is noiseless enough you can hear your own thoughts. 

\- You seem like a person who likes noise, though.

Baekhyun smiles thinking about his friends saying he's a noisy "kid". And he is, truly. When he feels  comfortable enough to be one, at least. 

\- You're very observant. - Baekhyun says, taking a sip of his wine. 

\- And you're an adventurer - Kyungsoo turns to Baekhyun like he's analyzing him. - You never stop at one place for too long, am I right? 

Baekhyun is curious by this sudden analysis.

\- Why do you say that? - He asks without glancing at Kyungsoo. He stares at the night sky.

\- Not sure -  Kyungsoo says, biting his bottom lip considering. - You came here alone, you stayed with us even though you barely know us.  Plus, all the stories you told us about the places you've visited. You just seem like a fearless person to me. 

_ A fearless person _ , Baekhyun repeats in his head. But I'm afraid of so many things...

Baekhyun turns to Kyungsoo to get a better look at him. 

\- What about  you? - Baekhyun asks. 

\- Me?  Kyungsoo repeats and shrugs. - I'm the  opposite , I think. This is actually the first trip I have done in a while.

Baekhyun can't help but ask.

\- Why? 

And he thinks he's not getting an answer because they stay like that looking at the sky for quite some time. But then Kyungsoo says:

\- I think is safe staying at the place you've known your life. There aren’t many risks to face that way.

Kyungsoo seems thoughtful staring at the sky. Baekhyun knows there's a reason behind what he's saying, one reason enough to make Baekhyun consider if he should say something or not. 

\- But isn't taking risks part of  life? - Baekhyun questions, his tone neutral. He hopes he doesn't offend  Kyungsoo .

\- That's what my wife used to say. -  Kyungsoo breathes the words out, words that seemed stuck inside of him for quite too long. - She used to say if you're living a life without taking risks, you're not really living, you're just surviving. 

Kyungsoo turns his back to Baekhyun taking a deep breath, rubbing his face with his hands.

\- And then she passed away in  an accident caused by a stupid driver.

\- I'm sorry. - Baekhyun can only say, placing his hand on  Kyungsoo's shoulder. He wishes he could say something better than that, something that could  comfort him. But there's not enough words that can do that for someone who lost a loved one. 

Kyungsoo turns to Baekhyun, smiling, he wants to make sure Baekhyun knows he's okay. 

\-  Jieun was such a bold person, you know? -  Kyungsoo says his wife’s name -  Hyunyi was just 3 when it happened but she got so much of her. This whole idea of wanting to travel when she's an adult, it's like I'm listening to Hyunyi's mom, it's crazy. 

Baekhyun doesn't say anything. He finds that sometimes words aren't really needed for a moment like that, sometimes the other person just needs to listen and that's what he does.  Kyungsoo tells him things like they've been friends for years, things that seem like he really wanted to let it out but didn't have anyone to tell it too. He tells him about how hard it was for Hyunyi, she used to cry all night wanting her mom. He tells him about how little things died inside of him like the will to explore, to cook. He stopped doing this things little by little, until there was a point his mom couldn't face seeing him like that anymore and she was the one who brought him "back". He says "back" using quotation marks, because deep down he knows there's still much to get better, to move forward. But when Baekhyun looks at  Kyungsoo , saying those things to him, he thinks he's ready to take that step.

❄

The next morning Baekhyun wakes up with his phone ringing loudly on the nightstand, he takes a few seconds to open his eyes but when he does, he sees  it’s Jongdae who's calling him, so he quickly sits up and grabs his phone to answer. 

\- Hey - He says, his voice still rough from sleep. 

\- Good morning - Baekhyun hears  Jongdae's lively voice and wonders who the hell wakes up in the morning this excited. - I've called to know how things are. Did you get on with the article?

Baekhyun vaguely remembers texting  Jongdae to let him know he got at the cabin safely, but he didn't tell him the rest so he takes advantage of the call let him know all that happened. From the confused encounter with  Kyungsoo and  Hyunyi on the same cabin to his car breaking.

\- Is he  pretty? - Jongdae asks, dismissing the fact that Baekhyun's car broke and he's stuck there. 

Baekhyun thinks of  Kyungsoo .

\- Yeah... I think. - He shrugs like it's not important. - I mean I don't know. 

\- You're embarrassed -  Jongdae laughs - Yes, he's pretty. 

And Baekhyun rolls his eyes because his friend knows him too much. 

\- And he's single, right? -  Jongdae continues.

\- Yeah, but it's complicated - Baekhyun thinks about the conversation he had with  Kyungsoo yesterday. He doesn't think the man opened up to anyone since his wife passed away. He thinks about  Hyunyi . - Plus, he's obviously straight, he has a kid. 

\-  Oh I'm sorry I forgot the b in  lgbt stands for brotherly love. 

Baekhyun laughs, because obviously  Jongdae is right,  Kyungsoo could be bi.

\- Anyways, I don't know why we're even having this conversation I'm leaving as soon as they fix my car.

\- Well -  Jongdae says and Baekhyun can see his friend rolling his eyes. He's probably tired of hearing Baekhyun's dismissal of relationships. - Did you at least write something for the article? 

-No - Baekhyun sighs. - But I'll try to write something this morning. 

Jongdae agrees and tells him to be texting him when he's back. They say goodbye and Baekhyun gets up to shower and get himself ready for the day. 

\-  Morning! - Hyunyi smiles friendly at Baekhyun while  Kyungsoo is placing their breakfast on the countertop. 

\- Good morning. Baekhyun replies, looking to the little girl and then to the man. He feels a little uncertain, looking carefully at  Kyungsoo to see if shows any signs on regretting the conversation they had yesterday. But  Kyungsoo's smile is big on his face when he says good morning back, so all of his uncertainty vanishes at the spot.

\- So what's the plan for today? Baekhyun asks looking at Hyunyi. 

\- We're going to build a snowman! - Hyunyi answers - Do you want to join us? 

Baekhyun smiles, caressing Hyunyi's little head. 

\- I'm sorry but today I'm gonna lock myself in that beautiful attic - He says that pointing above them - And try working on the thing I was suposed to be working. 

\- Oh you sure you don't want to join us? - Kyungsoo asks, and there's something in his eyes that Baekhyun doesn't know how to read. 

\-  Honestly, I wish I could but my boss is  gonna come for me if I don't send him the article until Christmas. -  Jongdae wouldn't really come for him, but still Baekhyun knows this is something he can keep put off for too long. - Anyways, you guys have fun! Make sure to build a huge snowman, okay  Hyunyi ? 

The little girl nods, already jumping from the seat to get ready to go outside.

The attic is absolutely beautiful and cozy. There's a little sofa with blankets and  an office desk with a brown leather chair with wheels, that when you seat you can see the outside through the window. Baekhyun takes his MacBook and mug with tea to start working on the article. He has no idea where to start, so he spends a little time going through his pictures. 

There's a lot of Christmas trees pictures in his gallery he notices. Christmas trees set on beaches, on the snow, made of candies or bottles. He looks at one made of books and he remembers the time he was in Edinburgh writing an article about an author that lived there and he visited his place and there it was that beautiful tree. 

It never bothered Baekhyun, the fact he was always working. He liked to keep his mind occupied and his parents were always travelling anyway. But now how can he write something about it if he hasn't lived through it?

He looks at the window and gets up from the chair getting close to it.  Kyungsoo and  Hyunyi are outside picking snow with their hands and making a giant ball. He thinks about  Hyunyi lists and  an idea form in his head. 

Going down, he picks up his jacket and scarf and puts on him, he walks to where Kyungsoo and Hyunyi are playing and smiles because the snowman is looking funny with a crooked nose made of carrot. 

Kyungsoo smiles when he sees Baekhyun. 

\- Care to join us? He asks. 

\- I do. - Baekhyun replies, getting close to them. He looks at Hyunyi. - Actually Hyunyi, I was wondering if you let me join you on that little list of yours. 

Kyungsoo and Hyunyi look at each other, probably wondering why Baekhyun would want to. 

\- It's just that I've been having trouble writing about Christmas and since you made a whole list, I thought I could a little inspiration from you - He explains and Hyunyi smiles. Then, he looks at Kyungsoo. - It would be only until my car is fixed, do you guys mind? 

\- No! - Kyungsoo replies almost immediately. - I mean, it's fine you can join us. 

\- But to join us you have to do one thing. - Hyunyi adds and when Baekhyun looks at her curious, she throws a snowball at him. 

\- Oh no you didn't! - Baekhyun laughs surprised and immediately grabs a ball of snow and throws at her direction.  Kyungsoo joins and they start running one after the other, catching the snow and throwing at each other. At one moment, Baekhyun makes a giant snowball and throws in  Kyungsoo's face, that startles him and he rubs his hands at his eyes. Baekhyun thinks he hit him too hard so he gets close to apologize but the minutes he does,  Kyungsoo raises his face laughing and throws a snowball at him.

Baekhyun is having so much fun, he once again lost track of time.  _ It's easy to be with them _ , he thinks. It almost feels like they've been in each other's lives for longer than 3 days. He doesn't remember the last time his cheeks hurt so much from smiling like this. It’s such a wonderful feeling he doesn’t  want to let go. He wants to hang on to this, for longer than he actually can.

❄

After playing too much on the snow they get back inside to clean themselves. The next plan, according to  Hyunyi's list, is to go to an ice-skating rink and skate for how much time they can. It leaves a knot on Baekhyun stomach, he's not quite sure he knows how to skate but he doesn't want to ruin this for them. He tries to swallow hard when he sees the ring, but he can't help looking apprehensive at it. 

Kyungsoo notices his look, he gets close to him, while they're sitting at the bench adjusting the ice skates on their feet, and he asks him.

\- You sure you know ice skating?

\- Yeah! Baekhyun answers, trying to show enthusiasm. - I mean I've saw a lot of people ice skating on Iceland. How hard can it be? At to emphasize that he gets up to prove himself, but he loses a little bit of his balance making  Kyungsoo laugh. Baekhyun beams at him, embarrassed.

\-  Kyungsoo ? - A woman approaches them, looking both to  Kyungsoo and Baekhyun. - I didn't know you were coming.

She smiles at him and Baekhyun is kind of struck by how beautiful she is. She had blonde curls falling till the middle of her back, the green in her eyes makes Baekhyun remember the water of a beach he visited in México, and she has this light around her that feels like drawing people's attention.

Kyungsoo gets up to greet her.

-Sara, hi! He half smiles and greets her with a hug. - Yeah, we've decided to come.

\- We? She asks and now she is looking curious at Baekhyun, with a question in her eyes. Baekhyun feels the need of explaining he's not a part of the "We". 

\- We, as in he and  Hyunyi , I'm just a guy who  accidentally rented the same cabin as him but I'm leaving as soon as my car gets fixed. - He smiles to show it isn't a big deal. 

Kyungsoo looks serious at him for second that feels quite too long, then it's like he's back in reality and points to the woman and to Baekhyun.

\- Sara, this is Baekhyun. Baekhyun, this is Sara. - And  Kyungsoo adds, like he needs to reassure Baekhyun of something he doesn't even know. - She's my coworker at the company

They've exchange friendly nods.

\- Where's  Hyunyi ? Josh is going to be happy to see her. - Sara asks.

\-  Oh she's already there -  Kyungsoo points to the ice skating ring and Baekhyun notices a little boy skating with  Hyunyi , he assumes it's the woman's son.

\- Great, they're playing already! Sara says and she smiles back to Kyungsoo. Her eyes showing what Baekhyun knows it is interest. She wants Kyungsoo. - Look I've got tickets for the nutcracker play tomorrow. What do you think about us going together? Me, you,  Hyunyi and Josh. 

She looks at Baekhyun apologetically, but her eyes don't show regret at all. 

\- Sorry I don't have another ticket, Baekhyun.

Baekhyun rolls his eyes, at least he imagines himself rolling his eyes, but he smiles acidly. 

\- No, it's fine. I'm probably leaving tomorrow anyway. 

\- So, what do you say? Sara gets her attention back at her target. 

Kyungsoo looks at where  Hyunyi is playing with the little boy, then back at Baekhyun. There's a question in his eyes, Baekhyun can't read it. Why is so difficult for him to read him? He's probably asking for encouragement, right? So Baekhyun smiles to encourage him. After all they did talk about moving forward, about taking steps.

\- Sure, why not?  Kyungsoo says after a minute in silence. 

-Great - Sara smiles relived - Then we'll pick you up at 4:00pm is that okay? 

\- Okay. - He answers simply and they give each other goodbye. 

The little conversation they just had almost makes it vanish from Baekhyun's mind the fact that they came to ice skate. Baekhyun faces the ring and says to himself. "Ok Baekhyun, you can do this."

\- Be careful.  Kyungsoo says behind him, trying not to laugh.

Baekhyun glances at people ice skating and swallows hard, finally taking the courage to step in the rink. He slowly slides to the center, trying to get the hang of it, but after a little more than 30 seconds he falls on his butt making impossible for  Kyungsoo not to laugh. 

\- It's there a hole where I can dig myself in? - Baekhyun asks when  Kyungsoo slides close to him, offering his hand.

\- You okay? He asks, still laughing. 

\- It's fine - Baekhyun replies, taking the man's hand to put himself up - I just hurt my ego. 

Kyungsoo laughs harder and Baekhyun is kind of struck by how beautiful  Kyungsoo's features is when he laughing. His eyes closing turning to moons, and a little dimple that pops up when his cheek go up.

\- Don't laugh - Baekhyun chides him, embarrassed.

\- Hey at least you're trying. You get a point for being fearless. 

\- One of my qualities you said. 

And then, Baekhyun realizes they're standing a little too close, still holding each other's hand. There's a tight press on his chest, like his heart is being smashed and he isn't able to breathe. It's just for a second, but Baekhyun is lightheaded.  Kyungsoo is still smiling at him, but slowly he starts to realize the same thing Baekhyun did seconds ago, and his smile falters. Baekhyun coughs, taking a step beck.

\- Anyways, I'm only leaving this rink when I'm able to do one of those loops they do on figure skating.

Kyungsoo shakes his head at the impossible. He slides to Baekhyun’s front, offering both of his hand for guidance.

\- Let’s just stick to skating without falling for now, shall we? 

Kyungsoo starts walking backwards carefully guiding Baekhyun who starts sliding his skates through the ice. He looks at Kyungsoo, feeling like a kid who's learning how ride a bicycle. Plus, holding Kyungsoo's hand and skating while starring at his beautiful face it's making him feel dizzy again. He needs to distract himself. 

\- So. .. - He clears his throat - Sara is beautiful, isn't she? - Baekhyun asks out of the blue. He can't help that he's a little curious. - I think she's really interested in you. 

Kyungsoo focus on him is confusing, he’s probably wondering why Baekhyun brought her up. 

\- Her son studies with Hyunyi, they're really close. - Kyungsoo replies, but that doesn't really answer Baekhyun's question. Is he interested in her too? And why is this any of Baekhyun's interest? 

\- Is she single? - Baekhyun lets it slip from his mind, one of his questions. 

\- Why? Are you interested? Kyungsoo shots back, raising one of his brows, questioning.

\- No. Baekhyun answers like it's the most obvious answer. - I'm just saying it seems like you have a lot in common, and Hyunyi and her son are close like you said. 

\- And you assumed that from your observations, huh? The man smiles, with a challenge look on his eyes. 

Breathe , Baekhyun, Breathe! He thinks. 

He looks away to the ice, making sure he doesn't trip, but  really, he's just avoiding  Kyungsoo's eyes. They're too powerful and they make him feel things.

\- I'm just saying it's good that you're going on a date with her. 

\- It's not a date. - Kyungsoo answers immediately. Baekhyun's startled by his answer. 

\- Well I'm not really an expert to give relationship advice, but let me tell you... - Baekhyun glances back up - She thinks it's a date. 

The man doesn't answer, instead he looks at Baekhyun, but his eyes seem far away. Maybe he pushed him too much, Baekhyun thinks. It's his life anyway, why am he even intruding? He's about to  apologize when  Kyungsoo clears his throat. 

\- What about you? 

\- What about me? Baekhyun asks back, confused. 

\- Any love  interests ?

Silence falls upon them. 

\- No - Baekhyun finally says, his mind drifting to a moment really far away. - I'm not really relationship material. 

\- Why do you say that? He looks at Baekhyun, intrigued.

\- Hm... It's just - Baekhyun's nervous, he's not really one to open about this. The only person he feels confident enough to share about his life is Jongdae. But Kyungsoo is different. He opened up to him yesterday. He's not gonna judge him. 

\- It's just... 

\- Dad! -  Hyunyi surprises them getting close - Dad! I want an  ice-cream . 

Kyungsoo looks at Baekhyun, apologizing with his eyes for the interruption.

\- An  ice-cream on this freezing cold? You're  gonna get cold,  Hyunyi . 

\- But Dad, we can go back to the cabin and light the fireplace and drink hot chocolate to get our bodies warm. But now I really want an  ice-cream , please dad. Josh's mom bought it for him too!

Kyungsoo looks from Hyunyi to Baekhyun, he doesn't know what to do. 

\- It's okay. - Baekhyun says simply, answering whatever question  Kyungsoo had on his mind. ice-cream or talking about his ex, it's not a tough decision, Baekhyun too would pick the  ice-cream .

❄

It's turns out Hyunyi's plan of getting back to cabin and drink hot chocolate in front of the fireplace postponed. They spent so much time on the ice rink that she ends up falling sleep on the car, on the way back. 

Kyungsoo makes sure to put her in bed and wrap her in blankets to make her warm, before stepping down to the kitchen where Baekhyun is preparing his own cup of hot chocolate. He offers Kyungsoo some and the man nods accepting. They chat for a bit, but nothing serious like the topic they were talking on the rink, before Hyunyi interrupted them. They chat about Kyungsoo's work back at his home, how much he likes to decorate places, they chat about the weather and Kyungsoo's mom who's going to meet them tomorrow. Baekhyun says he would like to meet her, if he's still there, he thinks he's getting his car back tomorrow morning because the guy called to let him know he found a new battery. When Baekhyun says that, Kyungsoo looks thoughtful. And then, they find themselves sitting at the floor in front of the fireplace, they put a blanket on the floor to protect them from the cold, and they drink their hot chocolate joking about Baekhyun's fall on the rink. 

By mentioning the rink, Baekhyun remembers again what they were talking them. It feels like he was  avoiding the topic until he was ready, and it also feels like  Kyungsoo was avoiding mentioning to make sure Baekhyun was okay to talk about it. They fall silent for a couple of minutes, Baekhyun gaze focusing on his mug, and  Kyungsoo's gaze on the fireplace. Baekhyun takes a deep breath.

-So...

Kyungsoo looks back at him, saying at the time. 

\- So... 

They smile at the coincidence.

\- I don't want to pressure you but I'm kind of curious about what you said. - Kyungsoo explains.

\- Yeah - Baekhyun sighs, feeling nervous. - I thought you did.  Honestly, I'm surprised you held up for so long. 

They smile again, but Kyungsoo doesn't say anything. He's waiting, Baekhyun notices. 

\- Frankly, I've never had time to date. Like I said before I'm always working, always travelling so I never really showed any interest on getting in a relationship. And when I did, things didn't end up well. 

Kyungsoo nods, showing he's still listening to him. Baekhyun swallows the lump on his throat.

\- Hm... I... I had this boyfriend. - He pauses glancing at  Kyungsoo to check his reaction to the noun, the man blinks but stays still focusing on him. - We've met when I was doing a quick research of a band for my editor, and he was there as a photographer. We've hit it right off, from the moment he asked if I was a fan of the band and we found out we had the same taste in music. He was charming and funny and we started to spend a lot of time together, I didn't even realize that I was starting to really like him. But when I did, I wasn't scared, I was curious to finally understand how it felt. And it felt great, for a long time... until it didn't. You see, even with me dating I haven't stopped working, in fact I was more excited for it, I got promoted to a print journalist, that's when I started to write articles for the magazine and because of that I was travelling more. He was okay with it at first, but then time was passing and I could see he was fed up. I would come to meet him to tell him about the experiences while I was traveling and he would barely pay attention to the conversation. We’ve started arguing a lot by then. He said I was obsessed with work, I said there’s a difference between obsession and being focused on a goal and I had a goal... I wanted to level up on my career. I think I was insensitive... I mean I’m certain of it; I didn’t understand him when he asked me to stay.

Baekhyun looks away to the fireplace, the images vivid on his mind.

\- You probably wondering why we didn't break up right then. But you see, there were a lot of good days in between, so I had hopes things would get better. Until one day I thought about surprising him at his home, I was trying to make an effort. It was Christmas, I was coming back from another travelling job, I knocked on his door and a girl in her bras ended up opening it. You can imagine how I felt... 

There's a single drop  of tear falling from his eyes and Baekhyun hates it, because it means that memory still hurts him. 

-He was right behind her and when he saw me, he didn't even flinch, he didn't deny it, he didn't beg for my forgiveness. He simply said he was tired of committing to a relationship alone, he said I wasn't meant for one because I wanted different things. Like that's enough reason for you to cheat on your partner. 

They stay silent for a couple of minutes, Baekhyun lost in his own memory. 

\- So, you say you're not relationship material because your boyfriend cheated on you?  Kyungsoo asks then, looked confused but a bit mad too. He  got this incredulous look on his eyes like he's about to knock on his ex’s door to give him his peace of mind.

-Well he was right in some parts...-  Kyungsoo waits for him to continue - I did travel a lot. I've put my work first a lot of times it, enough to make me question if I'm the kind of guy who "settles down". Some could say I was ambitious for focusing on my career but others could say I was selfish. And they’re right, I didn't want to compromise.

There... Baekhyun said his story, he's scared for how  Kyungsoo is going to judge him, he waits, he looks at him, then he looks away, he's nervous and he doesn't even know why, he just knows his opinion matters to him. 

\- Did you love him? Kyungsoo asks, looking at him serious. 

Baekhyun thinks about it, he thinks of the good and the bad moments they had from the start to the end of relationship.

\- I don't know - He answers, lost in his mind. He knows what they had was special, special enough to hurt Baekhyun when it ended. But was that love? - I've always wondered if I was in love with him or if I was in love with the idea of our relationship. Does that makes sense? 

Kyungsoo nods agreeing, but says nothing. They enjoy the silence between them for a minute.

\- So you never fell in love after that?

Baekhyun shakes his head, his eyes trying to pinpoint Kyungsoo's every reaction.

\- Don't get me wrong. I'm not lonely. I've had my share of romance here and there, but love... I think that's not for me.

He's still eyeing Kyungsoo. He's biting his bottom lip, looking at the fireplace. 

\- I've said you're fearless but it seems to me you're afraid of falling in love. - And then his gaze falls on Baekhyun warm and defiant. - I think you're afraid of meeting someone that would make you want to stay and set your life in a place. 

There's a little smile on the man's lips that is making Baekhyun feel nervous. It makes him question why does he feels so many different things when he's next to  Kyungsoo . Why does he feel this pull that pushes him toward him? There's a part of his brain that reprimands him and tells him he barely knows Kyungsoo, and the other part recognizes him, like they've been part of each other's lives for years. It's crazy and scary...

_ "it seems to me you're afraid of falling in love." _ He thinks about what  Kyungsoo and looks at him thoughtful.

Is this it? He wonders.

❄

A dream. This is a dream. Baekhyun knows that because his mind drifting to a state of being  self-aware that this is a lucid dream.

Happiness is sparkling on Baekhyun's face when he's looking at Kyungsoo and Hyunyi and they're celebrating something? What is this? Baekhyun looks around at scene his living in his mind. Kyungsoo smiles at Baekhyun and takes his hand for a slow dance where Hyunyi takes pictures, he's looking at Baekhyun with adoration in his eyes, and then he slowly closes the space between their faces and kisses him on the lips. It's soft a soft kiss, Kyungsoo's lips slowly and barely touching Baekhyun's. It's amazing how something so delicate can make him feel like he can't breathe. 

_ Breathe, Baekhyun, breathe!  _

He opens his eyes slowly noticing the familiar  ceiling , the bed he's been sleeping for the past 4 days. Baekhyun slowly raises one of his arms to his lips, touching it softly. 

\- It was a dream. - He whispers,  disappointed . 

It's not hard to  conclude that he has feelings for  Kyungsoo , he doesn't know what exactly, but he likes to spend time with the man. The problem is that he's leaving. Not only that, but what if he isn't bi? And if he is, what if he's not interested? He has a kid! Baekhyun's voice scream on his mind. He has a kid and we have different lives. This wouldn't work. And just like that, Baekhyun's fears take hold of him. 

He is pacing back and forth on his room when he hears a knock on the door. He goes to open it and Kyungsoo is outside. He looks unsure with his hands in his pocket but when he sees Baekhyun opening the door he smiles and Baekhyun melts. 

_ Damn it _ , he thinks. 

\- Morning - Baekhyun greets opening the door for him to enter, he follows the other inside the room.

\- Hey, you were taking long to come down, I just wanted to make sure you're  okay.

\- I did? - Baekhyun looks at clock confused. He didn't realize he spend so much time thinking about his dream. - Uhm... I probably overslept.

He  scratches the back of his head, embarrassed. 

They stay in silence for a second that feels too long, Kyungsoo's gaze on him is making me nervous. 

-Well... I just wanted to check. - And then he raises his brows, like he just remembered something. - Oh and also the guy brought your car back. He came early and I didn't want to wake so I dealt with the payment.

\- What? Baekhyun asks surprised. - Oh my god, I'm sorry. Let me pay you back, please. 

\- That's not a big deal, Baekhyun. You can pay me back later. 

Now why does his name sound so different on  Kyungsoo's lips? Something shifted in Baekhyun's brain that even the way he says his name is making him feel warm and  lightheaded . But like a cold water falling on his head, the reality hits him. He's  gotta leave. It was good while it lasted and certainly it gave enough inspiration for him to write the article, but he can't stay here. 

The morning passes with Baekhyun enjoying the rest of the time he has with Kyungsoo and Hyunyi. They have breakfast with a lot of laughter because Hyunyi is telling them her plans to make a house made of cookies, a giant house, big enough to make them pass out from the sugar. 

They follow to the living room to accomplish one of  Hyunyi's plans from the list: To craft their own Christmas card.  Kyungsoo is drawing Santa on his sleigh, Baekhyun is drawing a bunch of reindeer heads with cute  faces but is  Hyunyi's draw that takes Baekhyun by surprise.

\- Here... this is for you. - She says cutely. 

Baekhyun opens his mouth forming a "o" and takes the card from her delicate hands. He looks at it and then back to  Hyunyi . He doesn't know what to say. On the card there's a tree full of colorful string lights and little boxes of gifts under it, but what surprised Baekhyun is that fact that she drew 3 people beside the tree, a man with black hair and plump lips that he's assuming it's  Kyungsoo , he's holding the hand of a little girl with a beanie the same color as  Hyuny's , and on her other side there's a man with a brown beanie, a  denim jacket and a grey sweater under it. 

\- is this me? - Baekhyun asks uncertain.

Hyunyi nods. 

- Hyunyi ... - He  lost the words, he looks at  Kyungsoo and he's smiling to his daughter. - This is...this amazing. Thank you.

His slurred voice showing how much that moved him.

\- I'm gonna keep this forever. Thank you so much. 

And to surprise him again, she hugs him tight. 

Baekhyun would never imagine that a trip to the most isolated place, to write something about what he has no experience of, would take him to find these incredible and kind people. And he realizes that no matter the time they got, what they've built here, the moments, the laughter... he's taking it with him, in his heart and mind. He's never gonna forget them.

Kyungsoo's phone rings breaking their little moment. He looks at the screen and smiles, he directs the front camera to his face and woman appears on the screen.

\- Hi mom! 

Curiosity takes the best of Baekhyun and he looks up, noticing the woman on the screen. She looks mature, a few grey strands on her black hair showing her age, but she's beautiful. She looks like  Kyungsoo .

\- Hi son! - She smiles and Baekhyun can see even more of the resemblance. - Listen, I've got bad news but don't worry.

Kyungsoo frowns waiting. 

\-  Minseok called me to let me know the bridge that gives access to the village broke. I mean... a tree fell and it's blocking the path, they're trying to clear things until tomorrow. So, I'm  gonna be late. Also make sure to tell Baekhyun before he leaves and sees the path blocked. 

At that, he looks at  Kyungsoo surprised.

Does she know about him? Did  Kyungsoo told her his name? What did they talk? Does she like him? Wait she doesn't know him. But the way she said his name, it felt like she did. What's going on? 

Kyungsoo glances at Baekhyun quickly, then he looks back to the screen. There's a little red spot forming on his cheek. 

Is he blushing? 

\- Yeah, mom. I'll let him know. 

They talk for a couple of minutes.  Hyunyi also greets her grandma and they make plans for when she arrives. When  Kyungsoo hangs up, he looks bashful at Baekhyun.

\- So... you heard that!

Baekhyun nods without saying anything. He still looking at the Christmas card  Hyunyi gave him.

_ He gets to stay, he gets to stay _ , he's repeating on his mind. Even if it's just for a day, he gets to spend more time with them. 

\- I've been thinking -  Kyungsoo starts and Baekhyun raises his head to look at him. - Why don't you stay for Christmas? 

Baekhyun is astonished.

\- I mean clearly there's a plan from high above to make you stay here. So why don't you spend Christmas here... - There's hope in  Kyungsoo's eyes - With us?

This is too good to be true. Baekhyun wants to pinch himself to see if he's in another dream. 

\- Baekhyun?  Kyungsoo's asks at the same time  Hyunyi is jumping on her feet repeating.  _ Stay, stay, stay!  _

He stares at  Kyungsoo’s eyes that are dark like the night sky but so beautiful and bright, he’s getting used to the warm he feels every time he looks at him. 

\-  Yeah I'd love too.

❄

Baekhyun is pretty sure time in the village passes different. He's certain of it. It's the only explanation for it the clock showing it's already 4:00pm.  Kyungsoo just left with  Hyunyi , Josh and Sara for the play. He wavered for a bit at the door looking at Baekhyun and Baekhyun made sure to smile and tell him to have fun on his date.  Kyungsoo laughed saying it wasn't a date and Baekhyun simply shrugged, but he smiled too. 

-We'll be back soon.  Kyungsoo guaranteed. It's like he wanted to reassure Baekhyun. Of what? He doesn't know. 

Now Baekhyun is feeling incredibly inspired by the days he's been spending here with them, so he only has a plan for the rest of the night: To finally start writing the article. 

He goes up to the attic with his MacBook and a cup of tea. He settles his things on the desk and grabs the blanket that was on the sofa, he places it on his lap and looks at the white screen that's ready to be filled with words. He takes a deep breath and immediately starts typing. 

_ (…) _

_ Living a busy life with many activities, following a routine that doesn't get you an opportunity to lay back and look at life in a different perspective. But what better day to think about that then Christmas?  _

_ To most people, I'm Baekhyun, the journalist, the one who's always travelling, always writing about different places and people. A fearless person who knows really about anything. But today I present a different Baekhyun. One that's not really attached to holidays because he didn't experience enough of it, not in the familiar way anyway. This Baekhyun was faced with an unconventional task to write something which he knew nothing about. So, he needed a guide. And he found one. Actually two. And for almost a week, thanks to them, this Baekhyun has been tasting, smelling, living in every way possible what a Christmas feels like.  _

_ Picture in your head a cozy cabin made of wood, surrounded by pines covered in snow. Now you see a fireplace when you get inside, and you smell the sweet scent of homemade cookies and hot cocoa. You can sit down and enjoy reading a book, getting warmed by the fireplace or you can take a box of ornaments and decorate the tree full of string lights.  _

_ It may seem like simple things, but when you live a life so busy rushing from one place to another, when you take a step back, you realize these moments are important. They're special not because of the simple act of doing these things but because of the people you surrounded yourself with when you're doing it.  _

_ Being totally real, I didn't give value to the date for the most part of my life. But someone told me Christmas can be the best time if I have the right people to celebrate it with me. And I understand that now.  _

_ So, to you readers I want you to take a step back, take a deep breath and look at your life, look at the people surrounding you. It doesn't matter if it's your mom, your friend, the doorman. Is there someone who makes you feel special? Is there someone who makes you feel like you belong? If there is, I hope you get to spend time with them, I hope you get to spend incredible moments with them. But if there isn't, if you can't be with them right now or you don't have anyone like that, I hope you can get comfort of knowing time heals anything. But in the meantime, how about getting out of your comfort zone and doing something unexpected? Who knows?  _

_ You may find yourself in one side of the world, feeling alone, drinking wine and talking to a complete stranger. But you can also find yourself in cabin with an adorable little girl and her beautiful father, feeling like you belong, you found yourself by finding them.  _

_ Just give it time, take chances and your life will take the course it's supposed to. _

__

_ Merry Christmas! _

_ Byun Baekhyun =) _

Baekhyun finishes typing, with a grin on his face. He stretches his fingers, then puts on his neck rolling his head. He saves the file and sends to  Jongdae through his email. He types a little note, thanking him for giving him the opportunity to write about it and wishes him Merry Christmas. He's done.

Baekhyun finishes typing, with a grin on his face. He stretches his fingers, then puts on his neck rolling his head. He saves the file and sends to Jongdae through his email. He types a little note, thanking him for giving him the opportunity to write about it and wishes him Merry Christmas. He's done. 

A light coming through the windows gets his attention so he gets up to look and he's sees  Kyungsoo and  Hyunyi getting out of Sara's  car and waving them goodbye. Baekhyun smiles and runs to meet them.

❄

After coming down to greet  Kyungsoo and  Hyunyi , they've talked about the play.  Hyunyi tells him all about the story and how much she liked it and Baekhyun asks all the important questions that make  Hyunyi even more excited at telling him more details. Not long after that,  Kyungsoo says it's time for the little girl to sleep so they go up to follow to her room to get her ready for bed. Baekhyun takes the time to go outside.

The moon is big tonight, shining bright upon the sky. If Baekhyun raises his arm just in the right direction he feels like he can touch it. He's on the porch of the house again, after only 5 days he feels like this is his favorite part of the cabin. He likes looking at the view, it soothes him.

\- Aren't you cold standing out here?  Kyungsoo asks announcing his presence. He walks to Baekhyun's side gazing at the stars. 

\- Yeah... - Baekhyun smiles- But I like looking at the view.

They both look up admiring how the moon and stars bright stronger than when they're in the city surrounded by public lighting poles.

Baekhyun is curious to know how was the date, "not date", with him and Sara. He knows  Hyunyi had fun, but he wants to ask him if he did too. 

\-  So what did you do while we were gone? 

Baekhyun smiles proudly, turning to him.

\- Well, I finished the article. That's what I did. 

Kyungsoo raises his brows surprised. 

\- Really? 

Baekhyun nods. 

\- You found inspiration? Kyungsoo asks, his tone neutral, but his eyes burning with curiosity. 

He thinks about what he wrote. 

\- Enough to make me write it, yeah. - He answers mysteriously.

\- Can I read it?  Kyungsoo questions eager. Which makes Baekhyun laugh. Nope, he doesn't have the guts to have him reading it in front of him.

\- You will. At the right time. 

Kyungsoo laughs and they let the silence linger upon them.

\- How does it feel to be inspired again?  Kyungsoo asks a couple of minutes later. 

Baekhyun takes a deep breath, closing his eyes.

\- Great... Scary... This article was different. It felt... personal. 

And now is  Kyungsoo who turns to him. They're looking at each other now. 

\- Why is that? 

Baekhyun looks away to the floor, then to the sky.

\- I don't know... it made me think about taking a break, you know? To stop being so obsessed with my job. 

Kyungsoo bites the bottom side of his lips, nodding, like he's trying not to smile. 

\- What? Baekhyun asks, curious.

\- Recently I've been thinking the opposite. I've been spending so much time afraid of taking risks, of living. Even when mom suggested this trip my first instinct was to say no.  Jieun wouldn't want me to be like this. 

Baekhyun thinks about a scenario where  Kyungsoo didn't come to the cabin, a scenario where Baekhyun would have the cabin all to himself. It's crazy how much has changed in so little time, but he wouldn't be happy with that scenario. He would never change anything of the moments he lived here in this week. 

\- I'm really glad you said yes. - Baekhyun says, feeling a little bold staring at him. 

\- Yeah?  Kyungsoo asks back, his voice coming out almost as a whisper. Baekhyun shivers.

\- Yeah... - Baekhyun swallows hard, feeling his legs get weak and his heart bump hard against his chest. - Otherwise I wouldn't have met you.

Kyungsoo looks down and back at him, and he smiles like he just confirmed something. He places his hand on Baekhyun's elbow pulling lightly, he wants him to get close. Baekhyun does, even though his nerves are making him want to pass out right about now.  _ Kyungsoo's _ _ going to kiss me _ , he repeats in his mind, he's going to kiss him and he's going to let him, he's been craving for it for longer than he admits.  Kyungsoo leans, his face close to Baekhyun's and Baekhyun closes his eyes, opening his lips slightly in anticipation. He feels the man's cold breath close to his mouth and he shivers. He wants this more than anything.

Baekhyun is about to pull him the rest of the way when a light turns on inside the house. They hear  Hyunyi calling for her dad and just like that the moment is gone.  Kyungsoo is still holding on to Baekhyun's elbow, but he looks down like he needs some strength to step away from him, and so he does. 

\- I... -  Kyungsoo starts. Baekhyun doesn't say anything, he can't say anything, he can't even breathe at the moment. - I better get going to see what she wants. 

Baekhyun simply nods.

Kyungsoo walks to the door, his back to Baekhyun, but he stops midway to look at him before entering.

\- For what's worth, I'm really glad I got to meet you too.

❄

It's the day before Christmas, Baekhyun wakes up the sound of loud laughter coming from below. It doesn't take him long to dress up and see what it is, when he's coming down stairs he notices an  unfamiliar voice talking loudly about something that's happening downtown. 

\- Let's call Baekhyun. - He hears Hyunyi's voice saying.

\- Do you think he wants to come with us? The voice he doesn't recognize says. 

And that's when Baekhyun appears on the living room.

\- Good morning. He greets finally getting to look at who's here. The woman turns to him and Baekhyun notices immediately it's Kyungsoo's mom. He feels shy now looking at her. 

\- Good morning, sweetie. - The woman approaches Baekhyun, smiling friendly. - You must be, Baekhyun. I've heard so much about you. 

She hugs him and Baekhyun looks at Kyungsoo questioning with his eyes. The man scratches his back, looking embarrassed. 

\- Only good things... I  hope. - He says back. 

\- Oh sweetie, you have no idea. 

And just like that she starts talking to him like they've best friends, recounting her journey to get where they are. She's very pleasant, Baekhyun notices. She tells him about this festivity that's been happening downtown where people are gathering, there's a Santa sitting on a sledge that people are taking photos with, there's a bonfire where they can roast  marshmallows and a choir where they're singing Christmas songs. 

Baekhyun immediately says  yes, excited . 

There's a shift in the way Baekhyun and Kyungsoo have been interacting with each other. Baekhyun feels nervous, suddenly he's back to being a teenager, stealing glances, wanting to touch him but not having the courage. He doesn't even know where they stand right now. 

When they arrive, the place is filled with a Christmas vibe Baekhyun never experiences before.  There are children running, people taking pictures with Santa, the choir filling the space with their beautiful voices. It's one of those special moments Baekhyun is never going to forget. 

Hyunyi and Baekhyun sit around the bonfire, while Kyungsoo's mom goes to talk with Minseok and Kyungsoo goes to look for sticks to put their marshmallows on. Hyunyi is happy taking pictures of everything and everyone, with Baekhyun's camera. She takes on of Baekhyun when smiles, forming a V with fingers. 

\- Are you having fun? He asks.

\- Yes! I like your camera. 

Baekhyun remembers she telling him she wants to be a photographer. He considers for a moment, and says.

\- Hyunyi do you want this camera for you? 

Hyunyi opens her eyes in shock.

-What? Are you serious?

Baekhyun nods.

\- Yeah... do you want it?

\- Yes! Hyunyi almost screams, jumping up and down. - Yes! I do. 

Baekhyun laughs.

\- Then it's yours! Consider it as my Christmas gift.

Hyunyi hugs Baekhyun tight thanking him a thousand times and runs to tell her friend Josh, who Baekhyun noticed is here. He takes advantage of the alone time to walk around the festivity to observe the way people are enjoying this day. He stops in his steps when notices Sara and  Kyungsoo talking. He's smiling telling her something and she is smiling back. Baekhyun hides behind a Christmas tree. Sara says something to  Kyungsoo and he nods his head and then hugs her. It's a friendly hug, but Baekhyun can't help the knot he feels in  hi stomach, a  Deja vu. He walks away to the other side needing to breath and think. Did he imagined what happened last night? Did Baekhyun assumed something that wasn't real? Does  Kyungsoo likes Sara? It was a friendly hug, but Baekhyun can't help feeling insecure. Sara is amazing, she's beautiful, friendly, sure of herself. Baekhyun shakes his head wanting to erase the negative thoughts from his mind. He needs to talk to  Kyungsoo . 

It's getting  crowded on the festivity, it takes him a while to find  Kyungsoo but he spots him with his mom next to the sledge, waiting for  Hyunyi to take a picture with Santa. He walks in their direction, but he stops when he hears  Kyungsoo saying to his mom.

\- I just don't think that's the right person for me. 

The  knot on his stomach feels like a twisted knife now. Baekhyun is certain he is talking about him. He takes a step back, feeling out of air. And that's when  Minseok bumps into him. 

\-  Oh hi  Mr. Byun! - He notices Baekhyun's face. It probably doesn't look good right now, Baekhyun assumes. - Is everything okay? 

No. Baekhyun wants to cry. 

\- I'm not feeling so good right now. Can you take me back to the cabin, Mr. Kim? I don't  wanna bother  Kyungsoo and his family.

❄

Minseok leaves him at the cabin and Baekhyun thanks him, running inside no longer holding back his tears. He takes the stairs to his room and closes the door, leaning his back against it. Stupid, he's so stupid. How could he ever think Kyungsoo was interested in him? He looks at his bags and impulsively, he thinks he wants to leave. He doesn't want to look at Kyungso's face, he doesn't want to hold any more expectations. He's really not made for this. 

Quickly, he packs his bags and texts Jongdae to let him know he's coming back. He's coming down the stairs when the front door opens with Kyungsoo, Hyunyi and his mom entering the place. 

\- Hey,  Minseok told us you weren't feeling okay?  Kyungsoo questions, his eyes filled with worry, his gaze falls on the bags and he  frowns. - You're leaving?

Baekhyun takes a deep breath wishing he could have left sooner so he wouldn't meet them. He can't cry in front of them. He forces a smile.

\- Yeah, don't worry. I'm fine. I just had an emergency and Jongdae called saying he needs me for another job.

Kyungsoo is looking at him like he's saying something absurd. 

\- What? Baekhyun, it's getting dark and tomorrow is Christmas!

Baekhyun sighs, walking to the door.  _ Please just let him go, please.  _ He prays. 

\- I know, I'm sorry, but it's better if I live now if I want to get there in time. 

Kyungsoo is frozen on the spot staring at him, so he takes the advantage and hugs Hyunyi. 

\- I've  had a great time with you, okay  Hyunyi ? Make sure to use that camera well, you're going to be a great photographer. He hugs her tight and he feels her little hands holding his jacket.

\- Can you stay? 

Baekhyun's heart crushes inside his chest. 

\- I can't sweetie, I'm sorry. But I left a little note on the table, it has my email so you can send me your pictures. He straightens himself and smiles at Kyungsoo's mom. He can't look at Kyungsoo. 

\- Thank you for letting me spend these days here with you. I'm never gonna forget how much fun I had with you guys. 

And  so, he leaves without letting them say anything more. Baekhyun opens the trunk and puts his bags on it. He hears the front door opening again and he paces fast to the driver's door. 

-Baekhyun! - Kyungsoo is walking after him. - Baekhyun! 

He holds Baekhyun arm to make him turn to him. 

\- What's happening? Why are you leaving like this?

\- I've told you already. - Baekhyun sighs. 

\- I don't believe you. - Kyungsoo simply says, looking a little mad. - Please, Baekhyun! If you need to leave so bad just wait until it's morning, you can't take the road in this dark.

Baekhyun knows he's right, he knows he's not  thinking straight, but then the sentence  _ "not the person for me" _ keeps repeating in his mind. He's hurt and he can't spend any time longer with him. He places his hand above  Kyungsoo's hand that's on his arm, feeling for one last time the warm that comes from his touch. Baekhyun slowly removes the hand from his arm. 

\- I'll be careful but I've gotta leave. 

He turns his back to get inside the car and he can feel the burn from Kyungsoo's eyes on his back. 

\- Goodbye,  Kyungsoo . He whispers before leaving for good.

❄

Now that Baekhyun is on the road, driving through the night, surrounded by darkness and the only source of light coming from the headlights of his car, he's pretty much regretting the idea of leaving so suddenly. He tries to drive carefully but his mind keeps drifting to scenes of Kyungsoo and Sara, he can believe he was so dumb to believe the man was ever interested in him. 

He's almost reaching the bridge that gives access to the village when his phones  start ringing. He glances quickly to the phone noticing  Jongdae's picture popping up. Baekhyun immediately picks it up and puts it on speaker. 

\-  Jongdae . He greets his friend,  relieved to finally hear speak to a familiar voice in this dreadful silence.

\- Baekhyun? What happened? Why are you coming back now?

\- It's a long story, Jongdae. I just wanted to let you know I'm on the road. 

\- Baekhyun! Calm down.... talk to me. Are you okay? 

He sighs frustrated. 

\- I'm embarrassed... he  explains. - Embarrassed and heartbroken. 

-Oh...You've got rejected. - Jongdae simply says, understanding.

Ouch... Baekhyun laughs because his friend has been a person who likes to take the band-aid off quickly.

\- Did you say you like him and he said he didn't like you back? Jongdae asks at Baekhyun's silence.

\- Yes? - Baekhyun replies almost  immediately and then he thinks about it. - No? I don't know... it's complicated. 

\- What do you mean it's complicated? His friend says back and Baekhyun can almost see him rolling his eyes. - It's a yes or no question, Baekhyun. Did you tell him you like him? 

Baekhyun stays focused on driving because is starting to  snow, but he tries to recollect all of the time he had with  Kyungsoo , he didn't tell him he liked him, but he thinks he was pretty obvious the other night. He hears  Jongdae sighing.

\- Listen I'm just gonna assume you didn't tell him because I know you, Baekhyun. I bet you tried to read him, I bet you tried to see if he likes you through his eyes or something like that.

Baekhyun listens carefully, with no words to say back because he knows his friend is right. 

\- I've read the article. - Jongdae continues. - It's one of the most personal things you ever wrote, Baekhyun. Why don't you listen to your own words and get out your comfort zone?

At that he hears a notification pop up on his phone, letting him know a new email arrived. He doesn't recognize the email, but it says Best Christmas Ever! so  curiosity gets the best of him and he stops the car at the side of the road. 

\-  Jongdae I'll talk to you soon I've got to check  this. - He simply says before hanging up and opening the email. 

It's  Hyunyi ! he recognizes. He reads the note saying "Thank you for making this the best Christmas.  Hyunyi xx" and opens the video that open with a video of the Christmas tree they've put on the living room. The video shows pictures they've took throughout this whole week, building a snowman, buying the tree, decorating the tree, videos of them trying to make cookies and messing up the kitchen with flour. It's their memories and Baekhyun wants to cry. He's such  a hypocrite. He told his readers to get of their comfort zone and here he is running away, scared. 

Turning the car on, he turns the car around back to the  village, he call  Jongdae again. 

\- You were right. - Baekhyun greets.

\-  Of course, I'm always right but about what?

\- I didn't tell him I like him; I just ran.

\- Baek you're telling me really important things right now.

A noise gets his attention when his car stars stopping on the road.

\- What? what's going on? Baekhyun voices, looking at his car. Please not again, he prays. 

-Baek? Baek? - Jongdae calls him.

\-  Jongdae I think my car  broke. - He raises his voice because the snow is starting to pour heavily.

\- Baek? You alright? Jongdae asks and there's a static on the phone call terrible.

\-  Jongdae ? Baekhyun asks again and then his  battery dies.

Great, just  great. - Baekhyun voices. - I'm  gonna die frozen and I'm not even  gonna declare myself to man I like.

Baekhyun looks outside through the glass of the windows that starting to look blurry. He needs to try getting his car outside the road. He covers his head with a beanie and his hands with gloves and goes outside, walking rapidly to the back of the car. He's faced with an incredible cold that's making his bones hurt. He tries to push the car and he manages to do it for a meter, but he's so cold and he hasn't been an active member of the gym for the past few months, so he runs back in the car and prays someone will notice his absence and lack of communication. Wait does that mean he's stuck here for the next 24 hours? Baekhyun thinks. That's the time people have to wait to notify a missing person, right? Okay Baekhyun, don't panic.

Half an hour  later , he doesn't even realize he fell asleep until he hears someone knocking at the glass of the window. He rolls down the window carefully and sees the man on the other car, parked close to his.

\- You really need to get a new car. - Kyungsoo says, a smirk playing on his face. 

Baekhyun doesn't even hesitate. He quickly grabs his things and puts it on  Kyungsoo's car, running to sit on the passenger's seat. He looks at  Kyungsoo wondering how he did find out about him being stuck here.

\- Your friend called Minseok who called me. - Kyungsoo explains like he read his mind. - He said he couldn't get a hold of you so I just followed the path and hoped that I'd find you. 

Baekhyun nods, out of words. He mentally slaps himself for not knowing how to act when he had so much to say. 

\- Sorry for dragging you here. I know this wasn't in your Christmas plans. - Baekhyun says

\- I just wanted to know why you ran away. - Kyungsoo says at the time.

And they look at each other surprised.

Baekhyun stays still thinking about how to voice the things on his mind. Kyungsoo is waiting looking at him. 

\- I guess I was scared? - Baekhyun focus on a spot on the front of the car to not look at Kyungsoo. - I've saw you talking with Sara. And then I overheard you talking with your mom about me not being the right person for you. And I know it's wrong that I've heard you guys talking but as soon as I heard that, I walked away.

They stay in silence and still inside the car. Baekhyun wants to know what his thinking, but he doesn't dare to look at him. He's afraid of what he might see.

\- I've noticed your car is parked in the direction of the village. 

Baekhyun glances quickly to Kyungsoo and follows his gaze, that's on his car. 

\- I was coming back. - Baekhyun explains.

\-  Why? - He hears the seriousness on  Kyungsoo's tone. 

Baekhyun swallows the knot on his throat and closes his eyes for courage. 

\- Because I wanted to tell you I like you. 

The words come out of his mouth like a sound of relieve, like Baekhyun has been holding back for so long he almost forgot how to breathe. 

\- I like you, Kyungsoo. - He repeats. - And I know you said I'm not the right person you. But I wanted to tell you anyway because I'm tired of being scared, I'm tired of holding back. 

It almost ironic, Baekhyun thinks. He's tired of being scared and here he is... still scared. He doesn't dare to open his eyes. His hands balling into fists. He hears a sigh coming of Kyungsoo's mouth and then he feels his hands being covered with the warm of the other's hand.

\- Baek, look at me. -  Kyungsoo pleads calmly. And Baekhyun can’t help but notice the endearment in the way he says “Baek”. He raises both of his hand, placing them on Baekhyun's face. - Hey, open your eyes. 

And so, slowly, Baekhyun does. Kyungsoo's right there in front of him, just inches away, his eyes... so beautiful, looking at him fondly. 

\- If you stayed just a minute longer hearing that conversation you would've understand I was talking about Sara. 

Baekhyun blinks looking at him stupidly. 

\- What?

Kyungsoo caresses his face with his thumbs.

\- Sara is not the right person for me. - Kyungsoo repeats more clearly. - She's not the person for me because you are.

Baekhyun still doesn't understand.

-But you... - He tries to recollect his memory. - You were smiling and you hugged her.

Kyungsoo smiles, rolling his eyes. 

\- Yeah because I was telling her about you and how you make me feel. She said she never saw me looking at anyone like I've looked at you. She was happy for me that's why I hugged her.

Baekhyun blinks once, twice... the images finally making sense in his head. 

\- Oh... - He says.

Kyungsoo is laughing now.

\- Yeah... oh. - He repeats

Baekhyun places his right hand above Kyungsoo's hand on his face feeling the warm with his eyes closed, he opens again and Kyungsoo is still starring at him.

-I'm sorry for causing so much  confusion. - Baekhyun says honestly. He takes  Kyungsoo's hands from his face and holds them on his lap.

\- It's okay. It's both of our faults really... for not being upfront about it.

They enjoy the silence  caressing each other's hand, the car still parked on the road.

\- So how do I make you feel? Baekhyun asks sudden, finally letting a smile play on his face.

Kyungsoo stares at him and Baekhyun stares back, defiant.

\- Well - The other's gaze falls on the steering wheel, he bites his bottom lip preventing him from smiling - For starts, you make me feel incredibly good at ice skating. At least compared to you. 

Baekhyun laughs punching his side lightly. Kyungsoo laughs with and takes the opportunity to turn to him and grab his hands again. He looks serious at Baekhyun.

\- You incredibly good with  Hyunyi and it's crazy she's so attached to you already like you've been on each other's lives for longer. 

Baekhyun thinks about Hyunyi and he's right, he can't even image living a life without her filling his days with her presence, and her brightness. Baekhyun drifts off for a minute thinking about her, but Kyungsoo gets his attention back placing once again his hand on Baekhyun's face and bringing his face closer. 

-You make me feel bold. - He whispers. - Like I can go out on the world again and explore it. 

He's so close...

\- And I lov... - Kyungsoo stops, because they both know is too soon for that word to be coming out of their mouths. - And I like how nervous you make me, like right now... my heart feels like's it's about to come out of my mouth and I want to kiss you so bad, it's messing with my mind and I can't think straight.

Baekhyun closes his eyes and opens them again, letting the words that Kyungsoo said fill his heart. He closes the distance between them and whispers, his lips brushing slightly against Kyungsoo's.

\- What you waiting for? 

And finally... finally!!! Kyungsoo holds Baekhyun's face and seals his lips on the other's mouth. 

Baekhyun never felt a kiss like this in his life, he never kissed like this!!!  Kyungsoo kisses Baekhyun like he is his air. Like he's the lifeline holding him together. And Baekhyun kisses back just as much. Exploring the other mouth with his tongue and feeling the warm of  Kyungsoo's hand on his face, on the back of his head, coming down his body. He wants this  forever; he wants to feel like this forever. 

They part for air, still holding each other. Both of  their chests moving in and out.  Kyungsoo kisses him once again, lightly this time. 

\- What do you say we go back to celebrate a family Christmas now? 

And Baekhyun smiles because he likes the sound of that... a family Christmas. 

\- I'd love that. 

When they arrive, Kyungsoo's mom is arranging the Christmas dinner on the table, she smiles when she spots them entering. Hyunyi runs screaming Baekhyun's name.

\- You came back! - She says hugging him and Baekhyun hugs her back, looking fondly at Kyungsoo. 

\- There's no place I'd rather be.

**Author's Note:**

> I wanna say I'm satisfied with this fic, but I can come here a month later and think I can do better... who knows? Either way if you got here thank you for reading this. Let's meet each other on my next story.  
> Stay safe and stream Candy and That's Okay.


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